Accused serial killer arraigned, does not enter plea

Joseph Naso, the 77-year-old man accused of murdering four women during the 1970s and 1990s, appeared in Marin County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon to hear the charges against him.

He did not enter a plea, nor speak formally during the proceedings. Naso wore shackles and a broad, red-striped jail outfit. He walked with a stoop and sat in a slump. He has grey hair and a yellowish complexion.

Marin County District Attorney Edward Berberian has not revealed much about the investigation, except that it, "?had been going on for some time." Marin County deputies arrested Naso Monday after his release from El Dorado Jail in South Lake Tahoe, where he had served time for violating probation following a theft charge.

The complaint against Naso cites four murders of women, beginning in 1977 with Roxene Roggasch in Marin County; Carmen Colon in Contra Costa County in 1978; Pamela Parsons in Yuba County in 1993; and Tracy Tafoya, also in Yuba City, in 1994.

The first and last names of all those victims begin with the same letters. For that reason, police in Naso's hometown, Rochester, New York, have been looking at other murders with similar characteristics. In fact, one of the Rochester victims, Carmen Colon, shares an exact same name with one of the victims here.

Berberian would not comment on other investigations, except to say that other agencies have interest in the accused.

Naso remains locked up in a cell for 23 hours a day. Berbarian told the court that the defendant has a million dollars in assets and may not qualify for a public defender. He has not yet clarified if he will seek the death penalty.